MASAI MARA

- Times of Year -

January & February

Some rain in January is normal, bringing with it short green grasses, carpets of wildflowers and the start of the calving season. Eighty percent of all wildebeest are born within a two-week period, usually in February. This is a good time to spot big cats.

March, April & May

This is our long rainy season. Typically, we expect one tropical thunderstorm every few days - these storms last about an hour and a half with torrential rainfall. All the rivers are flowing. The rain ensures the most beautiful crystal clear skies for the rest of the day and the most amazing sunsets. As the grass grows longer further south, the Mara wildlife concentrates on the short grass plains around our camps. It can be quite an adventure getting around but our land rovers are in their element!

June & July

Heading into the dry season, wildlife starts to concentrate along the watercourses; and the grasslands turn golden. Big cats; lion, leopard and cheetah typically give birth to their young in time for the arrival of the Great Migration which begins to settle in the Mara for the next three to four months.

August & September

The ‘Great Migration’ is in the Mara, and always within easy reach of our camps, if not right on our doorstep. The migration is an incredible spectacle with over 2 million wildebeest and thousands of zebra and Thompson’s gazelle, concentrated in massive herds, grazing the Mara plains. Amazing sights during this time include dramatic river crossings and an abundance of wildlife all playing out the day-to-day challenges of survival in the wild.

October, November & December

As the larger herds of wildebeest start to migrate south, back to the Serengeti, the areas around our camps become home to the more local Loita wildebeest. Sporadic rains green up the area and settle the dust from the previously drier months.